[Mpls] Ban the word Ban

[Dan]

DG:
> Dan asks what's next...cell phones! Would love to see those ban when
> driving.
>

Minneapolis has the word "ban" too firmly implanted in the front of our
collective minds. Everyone seems to think that their pet-peeves should be
eliminated by ordinance. I see the word "ban" on this list so often, its
beginning to loose all meaning. Ban leaf blowers, ban smoking, ban truck
idling, ban refrigerator trucks, ban cell-phones, ban bad food, ban "scary"
inflatable creatures. Come on, people. I thought this city was supposed to
be a center of "tolerance." Seems no one here can tolerate anything.

In my present line of work (driver), I could not actually perform my job
without using either a cell-phone, or two-way radio while driving (we use
the Nextels with walkie-talkie function). Many other professionals have the
same dilemma. Are we to be ticketed for performing a requirement of our
jobs?

While driving, should we ban: Passengers (can be very distracting), Smoking
(I bet everyone would like that!), how about babies? Listening to the radio
(especially talk radio - can really get one going), eating, drinking coffee
(imagine how poor a person's driving would become after spilling a hot cup
of coffee in his lap), drinking anything, for that matter.

No matter what we ban, SOMETHING will always be the "number one" cause of
accidents. By labeling something as causing x% of accidents, or being the
#1, it makes that something seem a logical target for elimination, but by
that reasoning, everything will eventually have to be banned. Say cell
phones are the #1 cause of accidents. 1 in 20, right? Ban them. Now, we have
a new #1 cause. Let's say it's smoking (I have no idea). Say it's 1-30
accidents. Ban it while driving. Now, we have a new #1 cause. Say it's
drinking coffee. 1-40 accidents caused by it. Well, it's the number one
cause of accidents, and we can do something about it, so by God, it's our
duty to protect people from this terrible scourge. It's the NUMBER ONE CASUE
OF ALL ACCIDENTS! Ban coffee!!! So on and so on. News flash: #1 cause of
accidents: Drivers. Ban them.

Dan McGrath
Longfellow
http://www.smokeoutgary.org